MONTREAL -- Some Quebec youth groups have asked Premier Philippe Couillard to intervene in the province's planned welfare legislation reform, which they say is unfair.
The reform would target first-time welfare applicants and guide them toward a job or a training program.
The issue, they say, is that first-time applicants who refuse to take part could see their welfare payment reduced. A single person, for example, could have his or her benefits cut to $399 a month from $623.
"If the young person is already in a program but becomes disorganized because they lose their apartment or have mental-health issues, how will they be accommodated?" asked Isabelle Gendreau, a spokeswoman for one of the groups.
"These young people have unusual paths, not linear ones."
Another issue is space for applicants. For example, they said a program in Thetford-Mines, about three hours east of Montreal, received 36 requests but had only 12 available spots.
The groups noted some improvements have been proposed in the reform, including a $260 supplement for people who return to school.
